David Dennis Jr., a writer for ESPN’s Andscape, expressed concerns on Monday about those who were upset with Team USA leaving Caitlin Clark off of the Olympic roster.

Dennis was on "Around the Horn" and worried about Black WNBA players getting targeted in the wake of the Clark drama.

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"I talked about how Caitlin Clark has become an avatar for people to express their disdain for Black women and how a bunch of so-called patriots are going to treat Team USA this summer," he wrote on X.

Dennis said in his clip on the show he did not think the Indiana Fever star was one of the top players available in the pool to choose from either.

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"There can be a healthy sports debate about whether Caitlin Clark should make this team. I’m of the belief she is not one of the top 15 players available," Dennis said, adding that Arike Ogunbowale could be added before Clark if a player has to drop out.

"The problem here is, and what concerns me going forward is those people on the fringe that do exist, who are in real life, not just internet trolls, politicians, pundits and people of the like, who are using Caitlin Clark as an avatar to lash out at the people who they have disdain for, mainly the makeup of the WNBA, Black women, et al.

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"And they are using her to go against Team USA. What’s going to happen … the big tragedy here, is the way they are treated by those people come this summer. We’re supposed to support America and American teams in the Olympics. I want to see that for this team, even if Caitlin Clark is not on that squad."

Dennis believed "most reasonable basketball people agree" that Clark can wait until the 2028 Games.

Clark’s reported snub from the Olympic roster sparked a firestorm over the weekend.

Clark was the No. 1 pick of the WNBA Draft back in April after leading Iowa to back-to-back national championship games and setting the mark for all-time scoring in college basketball. She was unable to attend the national training camp in Cleveland after she was invited because Iowa was in the Final Four.

Over the last two years, Clark has drawn millions of new fans to the game. The Iowa-South Carolina national championship was the most-watched women’s college basketball game. Her games with the Fever are among the top in WNBA ratings this season, not to mention the fan support she has received at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and elsewhere.

WNBA veterans Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner are reportedly set to be on the roster along with Breanna Stewart, A’ja Wilson, Napheesa Collier, Jewell Loyd, Chelsea Gray, Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young. Alyssa Thomas, Sabrina Ionescu and Kahleah Copper will be first-time Olympians.

Clark took the high road when asked about being left off of the roster.

"I’m excited for the girls who are on the team. I know it’s the most competitive team in the world and I know it could’ve gone either way – me being on the team, me not being on the team," she said, via The Athletic. "So, I’m excited for them. I’m going to be rooting them on to win gold. I was a kid that grew up watching the Olympics. So, yeah, it’ll be fun to watch them. 

"No disappointment. I think it just gives you something to work for. That’s a dream. Hopefully, one day I can be there. I think it’s just a little more motivation. You remember that. And hopefully in four years, when four years comes back around, I can be there."

Sports influencer Rachel DeMita said she thinks Caitlin Clark being left off of the U.S. Olympic women’s national basketball team roster was a mistake.

Clark wasn’t one of the 12 players picked to represent the red, white and blue as they get ready to head to Paris next month to compete for another gold medal on the global stage.

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But because Clark’s popularity has skyrocketed since she stepped onto the floor for the Indiana Fever, DeMita told Fox News Digital in a recent interview that she believes Team USA missed out on a boon from a marketing standpoint and an opportunity to highlight the top women of the WNBA.

"I personally think it is, yeah. I think if you think of it from a marketing standpoint, firstly, she’s box office. The numbers do not lie. There is no other player in the WNBA who is demanding the other teams they play against to move arenas to make sure they can hold as many fans as they need for these games," she said. "That’s the one player who is doing that."

"A lot of people are saying she is not one of the best 12 players in the league right now. Maybe she is, maybe she isn’t, but I would guarantee that you put her on that court and there’s not going to be a drop-off in her game," DeMita said. "She’s going to hold her own on the court. And I think she can do that against any of the other teams."

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"I think from a marketing perspective, from a fan’s perspective, I don’t think it was smart. But again, the way she handled it when she was questioned, she said, ‘Hey, this just lit a fire in me.’ She was disappointed, that’s what she wanted."

DeMita, who recently joined the BIG3 basketball league as a courtside commentator, said the American women will still likely bring home the gold but her point still stood.

"I don’t think it was the best decision," she said. "But again, I mean, the girls that are on that team are fantastic. They’ll bring home the gold. But I think having Caitlin on that team would have brought so much visibility to the stars on that are on that team, the stars who also deserve to be in the media more and deserve their flowers and deserve their praise. So, I think leaving her off was, honestly, it didn’t just hurt her, it hurt the rest of the women as well."

The media spotlight has gotten even hotter under Clark. She was a talking point again this month when Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter gave her a hard foul.

DeMita praised Clark for how she’s handleD the pressure with "poise and grace."

Going into Monday night’s game against the Connecticut Sun, Clark was averaging 16.8 points, 6.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game. She’s was also shooting 32.7% from 3-point range.

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